Darrell C. Kilburn passed away on July 26, 2021. He was 96 years, five months and ten days old. Born on February 16, 1925 in Curwensville, Pennsylvania, he lived most of his life in Fairport, New York in a house that he built in the early 1950s.
Darrell leaves behind his wife of 70 years, Doris Vivian Maines Kilburn. They were married on February 24, 1951 at the Methodist Church in Fairport, NY.
He was most proud of his U.S. military service; Darrell was a WWII Veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart. Darrell completed his Basic Infantry Training in Camp Wheeler, GA in 1943. He served as “First Scout,” joining the Fifth Army, 3rd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Regiment (a.k.a. the “Cotton Balers”), 2nd Battalion, Company G, 3rd Platoon, 2nd Squad in 1944, and participated in the Anzio, Italy beachhead invasion on January 22, 1944. He was severely wounded on the Anzio battlefield on February 27, 1944— just 11 days after his 19th birthday. He also contracted malaria (which lasted several years) intensely affecting him with recurring bouts of fevers for at least two years, even after his discharge from service.
Darrell graduated from Clearfield High School, Clearfield, PA in 1946, after returning from the war. He attended night courses at the Rochester Institute for Technology to further his education, while raising his growing family.
For the last 31 years of his working history, Darrell was a supervisor in printed circuit board assembly. In addition to his role as supervisor, he was a methods engineer, assigning value to workers’ measurable efforts in quality and productivity.
Darrell authored and self-published his WWII memoirs in a book entitled A Foxhole Was My Home (© July 2015).
With his wife, Doris, Darrell visited all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii.
Darrell was a musician who played harmonica, guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle; an avid gardener; a certified S.C.U.B.A. diver; a hunter and fisherman— the consummate outdoorsman. His other hobbies included league bowling, camping all over the United States and Canada, and metal detecting. He was known as the man who could fix anything.
His motto, which he repeated often, was: “If another man can do it, I can learn how to do it myself.” With that determination, he built the house he lived (and died) in, proudly proclaiming that he “drove in every nail himself,” laid every inch of electrical wire, installed each foot of piping, mortared the foundation blocks, etc.
Darrell was the son of the late Dewey George and Cleo Irene Kinder Kailburn. He was predeceased by his sisters Vivian Alberta Granville and Peggy Jane Graff, and brothers LaVerne Miles and Dewey George Kailburn; his brothers-in-law David, Leslie and Andrew Maines, William Granville, Robert Graff and Robert Noland; sisters-in-law Kay Maines, Beatrice “Bea” Maney, Elizabeth “Betty” Noland, Mary Kailburn and Nira Maines; and sons-in-law Ronald Schoepfel and Larrie Monnin. Darrell was also predeceased by several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is survived by his brother Daniel Robert (Heather) Kailburn and his sisters-in-law Loretta Kailburn, Jane Maines and Alma Maines, as well as brother-in-law Richard Maney (who sadly passed away on July 29, 2021, just three days after Darrell’s death).
In addition to his wife Doris, Darrell is survived by his 10 children: Corriene (Peter) Kurz; Wayne (Norene) Kilburn; Darrell “Sonny” (Susan “Sue”) Kilburn; Charlene Cullen-Schoepfel; Carolyn Monnin; Bernadette Serrano; Michele “Shelly” (Paul DeRycke) Kilburn; Sherry (Larry Grumer) Handel; Kimberly “Kim” (Mike) Scrooby; and Timothy “Tim” Kilburn. He is also survived by his 20 grandchildren: Stephen (Fiona) Kurz and David (Evelyne St-Louis) Kurz; Curtis Kilburn; Laurie (Joshua) Allred; Darrell, Jeffrey and Amanda Kilburn; Lisa (Rich) Reibstein; Chad (Jaimie) Cullen, and Carrie (Derek) Bates; Cassandra, Rachael (Steve) Burdzinski, Joseph (Katie) and Daniel Monnin; Andrew (Stephanie) Serrano, Vivian and Vincent Serrano; Christopher Kilburn; and Tyler (Rachel) and Jonathan Kilburn; and step-grandchildren: Sherry Burroughs Luzier, Greg and Wayne Burroughs; Holly (Adam) Schoepfel-Whitbeck and Mark (Amy) Schoepfel. In addition, Darrell is survived by 17 great-grandchildren: Emma Kurz; Andorra Cordeiro; Lilliana and Mara Kilburn, Jordan and Jayden Allred, Logan and Trevor Kilburn, and Aerith Kilburn; Corbin and Payton Reibstein, Dylan Bates and Gavin Cullen; Leo Burdzinski; Jakob and Allison Serrano; and Connor Kilburn; and several step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren and three step-great-great-grandchildren. Many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors also survive him.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Bethlehem Lutheran Church (https://blcfairport.org/) or the WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA (https://www.nationalww2museum.org/give) in Darrell’s memory.
Calling hours are from 4 pm – 7 pm on Friday August 6, 2021 at the Richard H. Keenan Funeral Home (Egypt location) 7501 Pittsford-Palmyra Road, Fairport, NY 14450. The Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday August 7, 2021 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 48 Perrin Street, Fairport, NY 14450. Interment with Military Honors will be at Oakwood Cemetery, 1975 Baird Road, Penfield, NY 14526, directly afterwards. Following interment, family and friends are invited to the home of Kim (daughter) and Mike Scrooby, 1 High Meadow Drive, Penfield, NY for food and fellowship
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2 responses to “Kilburn, Darrell C.”
I’m so sorry to hear of Darrell’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with your family for peace and comfort until you meet him again.
With all that i learned from Kim, i certainly felt like i knew Darrell fairly well. I certainly know he loved his family very much and loved our country and was very proud to have served,. If most people lived his kind of life, the world would definitely be a much better place..